Abandoned
by adelicateflower08
Summary: AU: She was a thousand miles from home, abandoned by the one that was supposed to love her above all. She was tossed to the curb like yesterdays garbage. I guess what they say is true...something that one person considers worthless may be considered valuable by someone else. Caryl. Mandrea(Merle Dixon and Andrea).
1. Abandoned

**Okay, this one has been on my mind for a while now and I just had to get it out! Hopefully everyone will like it.**

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Carol gasped as she was rudely shoved from behind, causing her to crash into the bald, heavy-set man with the cell phone and briefcase in front of her.

"Sorry." She mumbled under her breath as the man shot her a look of disdain. From the looks of his clothes, he was very well off.

"You can't go anywhere in this city anymore without being harassed by your kind!" He snarled at her as he rushed off, leaving her standing on the sidewalk.

Carol lowered her head in shame and pushed her sunglasses higher up on her nose, hiding the bruises around her eyes. She shivered as the wind whipped around her and pulled her threadbare sweater closer around her battered body, wincing as the movement pulled at her aching ribs. There was nothing she could do about it right now, she thought, so she trudged on.

As she walked in the blistering cold, her stomach chose that moment to remind her that she had not eaten in two days. Not since Ed had abandoned her outside a local gas station on the outskirts of Atlanta.

Carol angrily shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She should have known that Ed had been up to something. The day before their trip he had given her the worst beating of their marriage. Afterwards, he had been sorry.

_He was always sorry. _

He had come to her, begging her to forgive him, and to show how sorry he was, he was taking her on a trip to Florida. Carol, who had never left the state of Georgia, had become excited. Not at prospect of being alone with Ed, any feelings she had for Ed had been beaten out of her years ago, but at the chance of going somewhere different. She had fallen for it, hook, line and sinker.

She snorted under her breath at her naiveté. A trip to Florida on Ed's low-income? He was a used car salesman. What money he did make, he controlled. She never saw a dime unless it was for bills. They had been as poor as a church mouse.

Asking him to let her work had been out of the question, and something she had learned early on in their marriage. She remembered asking him if it would be okay if she got a job to help out. Ed, thinking she was insulting him and accusing him of not being able to provide, had become angry and violent, pushing her into the coffee table, causing her to break her arm. After that she had learned not to ask many questions.

She shivered and hugged herself tighter, remembering the day he abandoned her. He had sent her in to pay for their gas and when she had come back out, he was gone. She had no money, no cell phone, no family to contact, and no means of transportation. He had dumped her thousands of miles away from their home. He had dumped her like she was yesterdays garbage.

She put her head down, and wrapped her sweater around her tighter, desperately trying to keep herself warm. She had to find shelter before night fell. She had to.

According to word on the street, snow was in the forecast for Atlanta tonight, and that in itself was rare. People were rushing everywhere, desperately trying to get home to their families before the storm hit. Who knew that 2-inches of snow would shut down an entire city?

She came to a stop in front of the local homeless shelter and looked up at the sign posted on the door.

_No vacancies._

Tears poured down her face, leaving cold trails as the wind scorched her cheeks. What am I going to do now was her last thought when spots swam before her eyes. She felt strong arms catch her and heard a raspy southern voice that said, "Woah little darlin'...I gotcha. Just hold on." After that, nothing but darkness.

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So, what do you think? Should I continue? Reviews are nice! :)


	2. Broken Little Bird

**Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews, favorites and follows! You all amaze me! On to the next chapter. Please keep in mind that I am in no way an expert on ranches/farms...my ignorance on the subject led me to do some research. If something seems a little off, please look over me LOL. It's all for the sake of fiction! Also, the first two chapters will be a bit on the short side. Expect them to be longer the further we get into the story.**

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Merle Dixon glanced over to the woman passed out beside him in his king cab truck and gritted his teeth. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and averted his attention back to the road. He'd had no other choice but to take her back home with him, to the ranch that he owned with his brother. Merle groaned under his breath...Daryl was going to be pissed. He brushed the thought to the side. He would deal with Daryl when he got home.

Merle had been on his way home from the feed store in Atlanta when he had seen her standing outside of the local homeless shelter, hugging her ragged sweater around her body, crying. There had been something about her standing there in the frigid cold that had made her seem so fragile and delicate, almost as if you touched her, she would shatter into a million pieces. She had tugged at his heart-strings, and as he had made his way towards her to see if she was all right, he saw her knees buckle and he caught her before she could hit the pavement.

In the fall, she had lost the big sunglasses that had covered her tiny face, unveiling the damage beneath. What he saw, had angered him.

Whoever the little bird was, someone had beaten the hell out of her. Both eyes were blackened, and the left one was swollen with a deep gash over the brow bone. He looked farther down her body, stopping at her neck. Laced around her throat were purple bruises... bruises in the shape of a man's thick fingers.

At first he hadn't known what to do as he had cradled her small body there on the sidewalk. He had looked for identification, but the only thing she had on her was the clothes on her back. It seemed that the little bird was all alone in the world with no one to look out for her, so he had gathered her up and put her in his truck, immediately turning on the heat to warm her chilled body.

He swallowed hard as old memories swam to the surface. His, and Daryl's mother had gone through the same thing with their old man. In the end it had killed her and, it had nearly killed them. He was still suffering from their fucked up childhood, however, not as much as Daryl was.

When Merle had turned 18, and Daryl 10, he had left for the army, leaving his baby brother behind with their prick of a father. If Merle had known what would happen, he would have never left Daryl behind. Daddy had left his memory deeply etched upon Daryl's body, leaving behind more than scars. Merle feared that he had permanently damaged him.

Daryl was prickly as hell around everyone, but especially women. Hell, it had taken Daryl an entire year just to warm up to Andrea. Merle was afraid that Daryl would never find what he had found with Andrea and Ava, and he desperately wanted his baby brother to experience those things. Daryl was loyal with a big heart, even though most of the time, he tried to hide it beneath his gruff exterior. Hell, He had been the same way until Andrea had come along.

Despite their rough upbringing, he and Daryl had accomplished a lot in their lives. They had worked hard and busted their asses all their lives. Every dime, nickel and penny, had been saved and had been put forth to buying their own place, a place that would always belong to them. A place that nobody could take from them.

They were now proud co-owners of one of the biggest ranches in Georgia. _The Cherokee Rose Ranch,_ named mainly for the flowers that seemed to be growing everywhere on the ranch. It was conveniently nestled in Central Georgia's Historic Heartland and within an hour drive from Atlanta. They currently owned over 150 quality Paint and Quarter horses, including 900 heads of cattle.

There were three houses on the land, including the cabins for the ranch hands and the one that Merle and Daryl had built for him, Andrea and Ava, leaving Daryl to live in the main house by himself. At first, Merle had worried about Daryl being by himself in that big house, but Daryl assured him that it was fine. He liked his space.

Merle jerked his attention back to the battered woman sitting beside him as she made a whimpering sound beneath her breath, her arms favoring her ribs. It was untelling what else was wrong with her he thought with a grimace. He turned his attention back to the road and pushed down harder on the gas pedal. He had to get her home. There he would let Andrea, who was a nurse, examine her better.

Andrea would know what to do for her.

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**Wonder what Daryl's going to think of the broken "little bird"? Reviews are lovely! :)**


	3. Like A Moth To A Flame

**New chapter up! Thank you for the lovely response to this one!**

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**Moth to a Flame**

Daryl was brushing down Comanche in the stable when the sound of a speeding car and crunching gravels in the distance turned his attention towards the outside. Merle must be back from the Feed and Seed.

He gave Comanche a loving pat, admiring his shiny black and white coat. Daryl smiled as the horse softly nickered at him and turned his head, nudging Daryl's shoulder.

"I love ya, too, ya big baby." He muttered as he rubbed the horse on his nose.

Out of all the paint horses that he and Merle owned, Comanche was his favorite. Daryl's hand tightened around the comb as he remembered how neglected and abused the horse had been when he had taken him from his previous owner, Philip Blake.

Phillip owned the neighboring ranch next to theirs and after Daryl had found out that he had been abusing the horse, he had dished out the same treatment to him. Daryl had beaten the hell out of him and threatened to report him to the authorities if he didn't hand the horse over to him. Phillip had obliged. Since then, they had been rivals.

He set aside the curry comb and headed towards the entrance just in time to see a cloud of dust rolling along the mile long drive leading to the main house. Merle's shiny red truck blazed along the bumpy road like a bat out of hell.

_What the hell was his hurry? _

Daryl stepped back as Merle screeched to a stop in front of him. "Damn it, Merle!" He yelled as Merle hastily climbed out of the truck. "Who the fuck put a burr under yer saddle? What the hell is the rush?!"

Merle ignored him as he ran around to the other side of the truck and opened the passenger door. "Not now baby brotha." Merle rasped as he reached in and gently lifted something against his chest. Daryl peered around Merle's large frame, his brow furrowing as he saw the small woman in his arms.

"Who the fuck is that?" Daryl growled, wondering what Merle was doing with a strange woman in his vehicle.

_Where the hell did she come from?_

Merle looked at him, his eyes pleading. "She's hurt real bad, Daryl. I need ya to go get Andrea for me."

Daryl stared at Merle, not recognizing the look in his brother's eyes. He stepped closer to him, swallowing hard as Merle gently turned the small bundle so that Daryl could see her face.

Time slowed down as a floaty feeling came over him and his knees went weak. In that moment, something inside of him recognized her. It was almost as if his soul knew her. Almost as if he had been waiting for her all of his life. Like a moth to a flame, he felt drawn towards her.

His next feeling was anger. Someone had hurt her...badly. Her eyes were swollen and the skin around them tinged with black and purple, and the cut above her eye was slowly seeping blood. However, despite her injuries, Daryl recognized that she was beautiful. Not the type of beautiful that could be found in the office of a plastic surgeon or in a box, but the type of beauty that was natural.

_His mama would have called her a classic beauty. _

Daryl's eyes slowly traced over her delicate features, noting the pert nose and softly pointed chin. She had thick auburn curls that softly framed her face and fell down her back like fire. She also had a dusting of freckles sprinkled liberally across her cheeks.

_He wanted to kiss them._

Daryl swallowed hard as he raised a shaky hand towards her face. Whoever she had belonged to, had no idea what beauty they had had...no idea of the treasure they had possessed. The fact that he did know, made him feel a whole lot better about himself. He felt an urge to protect her from those that would hurt her and keep her from harm.

Before his hand could reach her face, Merle's booming voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Daryl!" Merle growled as he shifted her higher in his arms. "We need to get her inside. She's damn near froze to death."

Before Merle knew what he was doing, Daryl moved forward, taking her from his arms.

"You go get Andrea. Her and Ava is at the house. I'll take her inside and put her in one of the guest rooms." He murmured softly as he cradled her gently against his chest. The desire to hold her had swept over his body and before he knew it, he had taken her from Merle's arms. She felt like she belonged there. She felt right.

Merle narrowed his eyes, watching as Daryl carried her towards the main house, hardly believing what he had just witnessed.

He had watched as Daryl had gazed down at the broken little bird and tenderly held her against his body. The boy had seemed like he was in a daze.

He couldn't remember a time that Daryl had ever reacted that way towards anyone. What was so special about little bird that had caused him to lose his prickly demeanor, and furthermore, what the hell was wrong with his brother?

He didn't have the time to worry about it now he thought as he climbed back into the cab of his truck. Little bird needed help.

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**Reviews are lovely and keep me inspired! :)**


	4. Heart of Gold

**Oh-em-gee you guys! You all are amazing! Seriously. I came home last night from a very hard day at work, to find my inbox blown up with 48 reviews, 19 favorites, and 46 follows. I can't tell you how glad I am at this little AU, being this well received. I'm so glad you all are enjoying it!**

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The first thing Carol felt when her eyes fluttered open was the softness. She was lying in a bed, however, she couldn't remember how she had gotten there. The second thing she felt was pudgy little fingers prodding gently against her cheeks. The third thing she felt was pain. She groaned softly under her breath. It seemed that there wasn't a spot on her body that didn't hurt.

"Mama, she looks like Merida from Brave!" a childish voice yelled out as Carol slowly came to awareness.

"Ava, for God's sake, give the woman some room to breathe." a female voice admonished the child gently.

Carol looked up into the face of a little child with blonde ringlets down to her shoulders and crisp blue eyes. She couldn't have been no more than three years old. She was a beautiful child, Carol thought with a wistful smile.

Carol turned her head to the right, noticing a blonde woman with perfectly coiffed hair, sitting beside her with a small smirk on her face.

"Sorry." The woman said with a shrug. "It's her favorite movie at the moment."

"Where am I?" Carol said groggily, as she peered around the room in wonder. Never, in all of her life, had she been in a place as fine as this. Wherever she was, these people obviously had money.

"You're at the Cherokee Rose Ranch." The woman softly replied as she gently lifted the little girl up from the bed, placing her on a slim hip. "My husband, Merle, was on his way back from Atlanta when he saw you pass out on the sidewalk."

Carol swallowed hard as she stared up at the beautiful woman. "I don't remember passing out."

The woman smiled down at her with kind eyes. "I'm not surprised. You've obviously been through a lot."

Carol nodded and averted her eyes, afraid that this kind and beautiful woman could see her shame.

"My name is Andrea Dixon," the woman told her, "and this little monkey," she said as she playfully tickled the child's belly, causing her to erupt in laughter, "is my daughter Ava."

Carol smiled as she watched the mother and daughter longingly. "I'm Carol Peletier."

Andrea smiled and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Carol." She sat the little girl down and watched as she scampered off to find more fun things to do.

Andrea turned her attention back to Carol when the little girl left the room. "I just want you to know that I am a nurse. While you were out, I went ahead and examined you." She said quickly, almost as if she were afraid that she had overstepped her boundaries. "Your face should heal soon enough, however, you have a fractured rib. I recommend that you get plenty of rest and take pain relievers to help with the healing."

Carol nodded, appreciating the fact that she hadn't asked her any questions on how she had gotten the injuries. Her injuries were just as she had expected though, and honestly, nothing she hadn't experienced before.

"I don't have any money to pay you for your services." Carol told her with downcast eyes, shame scorching her cheeks.

"Don't you worry about that. I'm not looking for payment." Andrea told her with a frown. "You just need to get plenty of rest and worry about getting better."

Carol nodded and slid the covers from her body, intending to get up. "Just give me a few minutes to get my shoes on and I'll be on my way. I'm so sorry to have been a bother to you and your family."

Andrea rushed forward and stopped her. "Woah, woah! Where are you going?" She asked her as she helped lay her back down.

"Well, I was going to leave." Carol told her with a frown. "I've been a burden long enough to you and yours."

"Nonsense." Andrea scolded her gently as she covered her back up. "We want you to stay until you can get back on your feet."

"Oh! I couldn't..." Carol broke off as Andrea interrupted her.

"Yes, you can! Besides, as you can see, we have more than enough room for you here." Andrea told her with a chuckle. "Is there anyone I can call for you? Someone I can let know where you are?"

Carol thought about Ed with a frown. Besides him, she didn't have any family and Ed had certainly made his feelings for her known. She was all alone in this world...truly alone. There was no one looking for her...no one that cared if she was alive or dead.

"No." she replied as she averted her eyes. "There's no one."

With a sad smile towards her, Andrea nodded her head. "I'll let Merle and Daryl know that you're awake. They've been worried ever since I made them leave the room." She told her as she headed for the door.

Carol glanced up, not remembering who Daryl was. "Who is Daryl?"

Andrea looked over her shoulder as she paused beside the door. "He's Merle's brother." She said with a smile. "This is his house. He carried you in here when Merle brought you home."

Carol shifted anxiously in the bed. Men made her nervous. "Oh..."

"Don't worry. He likes to pretend that he's a bear, but he has a heart of gold." She replied with a smirk. "Stay put. I'll be right back."

Carol nodded and nervously twisted the pretty edging of the sheet. Maybe the owner of this beautiful house would hire her? Surely a ranch of this size would be needing someone to help out? Maybe he needed a cook or a housekeeper?What she owed them for their hospitality, they could take out of her wages. She was a burden, and no matter what, she had to somehow repay these people for their kindness.

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**Reviews are lovely and keep me inspired! :)**


	5. Stuck In A Bad Way

**Okay, so I know that some of you figured that this chapter would be the chapter that Daryl and Carol "officially" meet, but it's not. I'm trying my best to pace it and to flesh the characters out...so please bear with me. BTW, I am still overwhelmed at the response that this story has been receiving. Mind = blown! :)**

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**Stuck in a bad Way**

Daryl and Merle jumped up from their position on the couch when they heard the door to the guest bedroom being shut. Andrea walked down the corridor, Ava following closely behind on her heels.

Merle went up to her, sliding an arm around her waist. "Hey darlin'...how's our house guest doing?"

She looked up at him and sighed. "Well, she's obviously been beaten. Based on my observations while examining her, she also has a cracked rib. It's going to take some time, but she'll heal."

Merle tightened his grip around her waist and nodded. "The man that did that to her needs to be shot. Ya think it was her husband or boyfriend that did it? Did she say?"

Andrea hummed and nodded in agreement. "I think so, but she's not saying anything. I suggested that she rest up and take some pain relievers to help with the healing."

Merle nodded is head in agreement.

Ava walked over to Daryl and tugged on his pant leg, begging to be picked up. "Up uncle Daryl! Up please!"

Daryl bent down and picked her up, placing her on his hip. "Did she tell ya her name?" He asked, anxious to put a name to the beautiful face.

Andrea looked over at the pair and smiled. Besides her daddy, there was no one that Ava loved more than her uncle Daryl. "It's Carol Peletier. I couldn't get much more than that out of her, though."

Daryl nodded his head. Her name was Carol. It was a gorgeous name.

_It fit her perfectly._

Andrea looked back up at Merle, and gently rested her hands upon his chest. "She's stuck in a bad way, Merle. I don't think she has anyone. I told her she could stay here, with us, until she healed up. Is that okay?"

Merle, who was never one to deny is wife anything, opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Daryl interrupted him. "Of course she can. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Andrea and Merle, both whipped their heads toward him, their mouths open, staring at him in confusion. Who the hell was this person and what did they do with Daryl?

Daryl shifted uncomfortably, pulling Ava higher up on his waist. "The hell ya'll staring at?" He muttered angrily as his face flushed red.

Ava made a tisking sound with her mouth and pulled Daryl's face around to her. "You're not 'spose to say wordy dirties uncle, Daryl." She scolded him gently as she placed her chubby little hands on his cheeks. "You now hafta put five dollars in the swear jar." She told him in all seriousness, holding out her dimpled little hand.

Ever since Ava had learned to talk, he and Merle had been trying their hardest not to curse around her. It was easier said than done because...well, because they were Dixon's. Cursing was just a part of their everyday vocabulary.

In response to their filthy mouths, Andrea had created the "swear jar" and had placed them in every house on the ranch. Each time one of them said a curse word around the little girl, they had to deposit five dollars.

Daryl rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket, pulling out a five dollar bill. At the rate that he and Merle swore, they'd be broke and the kid would be set for life.

"Thank you." She replied with a cheeky grin as she stuck the money into the pocket of her tiny jeans. "Down please."

"Con artist." He muttered under his breath as he lowered her to the floor.

He shook his head as he watched her run off, more than likely to deposit her money into the jar.

Merle snickered under his breath.

"Laugh it up, asshole." Daryl growled, shooting daggers at his brother. "Just remember, she's yer daughter."

Andrea rolled her eyes at their bickering and gently slapped Merle on the stomach with the back of her hand. "Focus please." She sighed.

"Well hell, darlin, ya heard the man. It's his home and he said it's okay if she stays." Merle replied in exasperation.

Andrea narrowed her eyes at Daryl. "Yes, I know he did, but what I'm wondering is why, though?" She asked suspiciously. "Why are you being so nice about the situation, Daryl? Any other time you'd be walking around like a bear with a sore paw."

"I'm not a complete bastard, Andrea." He huffed in annoyance. "I'd do the same fer anybody."

Andrea made a non-committed sound in the back of her throat and nodded, not entirely convinced.

"Well, you all can go in and see her for a few minutes however, please remember that she will probably tire easily, so keep the visits short." She said with a smile as she walked over to Merle and pecked him on the lips.

Merle groaned and leaned into the kiss, trying to deepen it. "See you when you get home, daddy." She whispered seductively against his lips.

Merle nodded and with a heavy lidded gaze, he watched her as she went to the coffee table to pick up her purse. "Ava! Let's go!" She yelled.

Daryl looked at his brother and shook his head. "Daddy?" He muttered under his breath. "Ya'll some sick fucks."

Merle flushed and looked away. "Shut it, numb nuts." He growled.

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**The next chapter should make a lot of you happy. Reviews are nice and keep me inspired!**


	6. Welcome to the Cherokee Rose Ranch

**Okay, another chapter posted! **

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**Welcome to the Cherokee Rose Ranch**

The bedroom door opened, and she raised herself in the bed, wincing as the movement sent fresh waves of pain shooting through her battered body.

When she looked up, two men she had never seen before, came through the door, and Carol fought back the urge to scream. They were so...menacing.

The one in front with the buzz cut blonde hair was the broader of the two and was slightly shorter.

The one behind him with the shaggy sandy hair and goatee was a bit on the lean side, with slim hips and extremely broad shoulders. He hung back slightly behind the man with the buzz cut, nibbling on his fingernail.

Just as Carol was going to speak, buzzcut interrupted. "Hey there, little bird. How ya feelin'?" He asked her in a southern raspy drawl.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recognized his voice. This must be the one who rescued her...Merle.

"I'm okay I guess." She said with a small shrug as she glanced down at her lap and began to pick nervously at the edge of the sheet.

The floorboard creaked as the one with the shaggy hair stepped forward, and as she looked up their eyes met. Flip-flop went her stomach.

Her heart leapt into her throat as his gaze was unwavering. Carol wasn't used to having a man gaze at her like that, like he was memorizing and meeting her at the same time. There was no doubt that he was undeniably handsome.

"Hello. I'm Daryl." He replied with a nod, his greeting brief.

Carol got the feeling that this man didn't waste much energy on words.

"I'm sure Andrea has already told you both, but I'm... I'm Carol...I'm so sorry to be an inconvenience to you and your family." She replied timidly.

Merle waved his hand and scoffed. "Ah hell, little bird...ya ass ain't no inconvenience at all. I couldn't leave ya laying there on the sidewalk in this weather. Do ya have any family we can get in contact with? Someone we can call?"

Carol wrung her hands together and avoided their eyes, not wanting to tell them that her husband threw her out in the middle of nowhere. It was degrading and furthermore, she wasn't about to tell these people all of her problems. Pity was something she could do without. "No. That's why I was standing outside of the homeless shelter. I have no one."

Merle nodded and sighed. "That's a damn shame little bird. Everyone oughta have someone that cares. However, we've decided that you can stay here at the ranch with us until yer healed."

Carol stared at him in disbelief. "Just like that? What if I'm an axe murderer or a thief? You would trust a stranger around your family?"

Merle chuckled and sucked on his teeth. "Something tells me that yer trustworthy darlin'. Also, I'm an extremely good judge of character."

Carol wrung her hands together. "What must your wives think?"

"Wife." Merle corrected her. "Daryl here ain't married. He lives here in the main house by himself. As for Andrea? Her ass is happier than a tick on a wet dog that ya going to be stayin' here."

"Still though," she started with a shake in her voice. She cleared her throat and straightened herself, trying for confidence. "Maybe you could hire me to work off my debt? Would you need a housekeeper or..."

"No!" Daryl interrupted with a boisterous growl, causing her to jerk violently and shrink back against the headboard, not used to hearing the quiet man speak.

He raised his hands in a calming manner. "I'm sorry, just relax. Didn't mean to startle ya." He said softly. "It's just that, as long as yer staying here, yer considered a guest in my home. Ya don't have any debt to settle with us."

She looked up at him with fear flickering in her eyes and pulled the sheet closer to her body.

"Are you sure?" she nervously asked. "Because I'm not afraid to work."

She saw a million emotions swirl in his eyes as he took her in. He smiled softly at her. "Positive. Ya just need to focus on recuperating. Stay as long as ya need to."

For a few moments, Carol didn't know what to say. She was having problems getting a deep breath, and her chest felt funny from just being close to this gorgeous man. However, she could tell that he was sincere, and it's not like she had anywhere else to go.

She gathered up her courage and gave him a small smile. "All right. But, please don't feel bad if my presence here is an imposition. If I could get a ride into town, I'm sure I could find a job there." Carol refused to think about what she was going to do. She would deal with it...somehow.

Her breath caught in her throat as Daryl knelt in front of her. It was odd, but every muscle in her body was clamoring for her to get closer to him. Odd because usually, she was afraid of men. However, this one made her feel...safe.

Daryl slowly reached out and rubbed one strong finger along the back of her hand. "I want you to stay. We have more than enough room here. Please, Carol. Stay."

Carol shivered and spoke softly. ""Okay...I'll stay. But, as soon as I'm on my feet, I'll leave and get out of everyone's hair."

Daryl smiled up at her, his eyes twinkling. "So, no more talk about going into town looking for a job? Yer going to stay here, on the ranch, with us?"

Carol smiled and nodded. "Only if you're absolutely sure."

Merle let out a whoop and laughed. "It's decided. Her ass is stayin'."

Daryl smirked in triumph and looked up at Carol. "Welcome to _The Cherokee Rose Ranch,_ Carol."

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**Alright, it's settled. Carol will be staying at the Cherokee Rose Ranch! As you can see, Carol is attracted to him, but at the same time, wary of him. It might take her longer to fall for him. Reviews are lovely and keep me inspired! :)**


	7. Cleaning Up

**First of all, please let me apologize for leaving you all hanging for so long. I've been so busy with work and home life that I've had very little time to do anything for fandom. Please accept my gift for being such a bad person LOL...I present you with chapter 7 of Abandoned!**

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**One Week Later... **

A week had passed since Merle had found her passed out on the sidewalk in Atlanta and had brought her home to his family ranch, _The Cherokee Rose_. A week had passed of her lying around in bed, being waited on hand and foot by Daryl. That part she felt guilty about because she knew that running a ranch had to be extremely hard work, and furthermore, she just wasn't used to a man waiting on her period. If it had been Ed, he would have told her to get her lazy ass up out of bed and do it herself. Carol tried to protest every time Daryl did something for her, but Daryl would just scoff and tell her not to worry about it, that he didn't mind one bit. His kindness confused her.

Things had been hectic the first few days that she was in residence. After Daryl was done fussing and hovering over her, his ranch duties had eventually called him back to work. He had two mares that were in foal, which meant he stayed out with his horses most of the time. Carol was extremely grateful for that because, even though he had shown her nothing but kindness, having Daryl near her was disconcerting and made her nervous.

_Thanks to Ed, all men made her nervous._

Not all of it had been bad though, she thought with a smile. Every evening after work, Andrea would stop by with Ava. Ava was a beautiful and precocious child who was so full of life and energy...and so obviously a Dixon. Her and Andrea would sit and talk for hours while Ava played quietly at their feet, talking about anything and everything, nothing too personal on her part though. Carol mostly listened while Andrea talked. During those visits, she had learned quite a bit about the Dixon's. Carol enjoyed their talks immensely. It had been a long time since she had called someone a friend.

Because Daryl spent so much of his time outdoors with his horses, it also meant that she had a lot of alone time, so every day, much as she was doing now, she sat at the window in her room and watched him out in the corral working with his horses. He was so gentle with them...patient and kind.

She knew that she shouldn't be spying on Daryl, and he certainly wouldn't appreciate someone like her ogling him, but she simply couldn't help it...he was such a pleasure to look at. He was long and lean, with broad shoulders, and he moved with the liquid grace of a cowboy. Even though he made her as skittish as a filly, something about him drew her towards him. His touch, even the sound of his deep, raspy voice sent pangs straight to her core.

Carol sighed and shook her head. There was no use in wishing for things that would never happen.

Technically, she was still married, and even if she wasn't, she wasn't much to look at. Someone as attractive as Daryl would want someone as equally attractive as his partner.

Carol stood up from the window seat and clasped her hands together nervously. She knew that Daryl and Merle didn't want her to work for them, but she simply couldn't stay in this room for one more second being a burden. She was feeling a whole lot better now that she'd had time to heal. The bruising on her face and neck had all but faded, and although her ribs were still sore, she felt fine. Besides all that, she was curious as to what the rest of this gorgeous house looked like. So far, the only place she had been was the room she was occupying.

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Carol came through the kitchen door of Daryl's house and gasped. The place was a disaster...in fact the entire house looked like a war zone.

As Carol had slowly made her way down the stairs, she had passed by mounds and mounds of dirty clothes strewn carelessly over the wooden banister. In her shock, she had nearly tripped over a dirty boot that had been left lying on the bottom step. She shuddered to think about what the bathrooms looked like.

The kitchen was even worse. There were about two months of dirty dishes lying in the sink, and the stove was caked with only God knew what. Daryl needed a housekeeper...quickly. Carol smiled and rolled up her sleeves. Cleaning up...now that was something she knew how to do...and was good at. Regardless of what Daryl said, he needed a housekeeper, and as long as she was staying here, she would gladly clean his home for him. It would be one way she could repay her debt to him.

After finding a pile of cleaning supplies, mostly unused, in the hallway closet, she cleaned the kitchen, which became an entire morning's work. She mopped the floor, scrubbed the oven, cleaned out the big double refrigerator, and rearranged the food pantry so she'd know where everything was. She did the laundry and folded every piece, and remade the beds with fresh linens. She vacuumed and dusted both upstairs and down, polished all of the wood, cleaned the four bathrooms, sewed buttons on his shirts and repaired a myriad of small rips in his shirts and jeans.

Carol wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced up at the clock. Daryl would be in soon, and after a hard days work, he more than likely would be starved to death. She ran to the kitchen and a quick check of the freezer produced some thick deer steaks and one pack of ground beef and very little else. She made a mental note to ask Daryl about going grocery shopping tomorrow as she unwrapped the steaks and put them in the microwave to defrost. She was peeling a small mountain of potatoes when the back door opened. She swallowed nervously as she heard him stomp the mud from his boots, then sigh tiredly as he took them off.

"Dinner's almost ready. I just need to boil the potatoes." She told him over her shoulder as he came to a stand still in the middle of the kitchen.

"What the hell happened to my house?" He growled, clearly in shock.

Carol's hands shook as she laid down the potato peeler. Maybe she had overstepped her boundaries?

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**As always, reviews are nice and keep me inspired!**


	8. Hired

**Alright! A new chapter is posted! Ya'll didn't seriously think that Daryl was going to be too angry at her, did you? Haha! Trigger warnings: Mentions of past abuse.**

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**Hired**

The moment he had limped through the door, the house was glaring with proof of what she had been doing all day. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, taking it all in.

The piles of dishes that had filled the sink and covered every bare surface had been washed and put away. The countertops shined, and the floors were cleaner than they had been in years. He breathed in through his nose - the house smelled of cleaning products and furniture polish. It had been years since the house had been cleaned this good.

First he was shocked. The house had needed a good scrubbing for quite some time now; he had just never got around to it. Usually by the time he came in at the end of the day, he was dog tired and barely had the strength to drag himself upstairs to shower and go to bed.

Second had come the anger. Anger because the house was a little over four thousand square feet with ten rooms. It was too much, too soon. She should have been resting.

In return, his anger had caused him to growl at her. However, after seeing the scared look upon her face and the nervous wringing of her hands, he had immediately felt guilty and wanted to kick his own ass.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I p-probaly should have asked your permission first." She meekly replied her eyes cast down to the floor, waiting for the blow that would never come.

His heart broke to hear her stammering over her words. "Ya don't need my permission ta do anything, Carol. Ya free to go as you please in my home. I'm angry because this house is fucking huge and yer still recovering." He softly growled, trying to put her at ease.

"Nonsense, I feel fine, Mr. Dixon. I couldn't stay in that room any longer being lazy, having you wait on me hand and foot. I just wanted to repay my -."

"If ya say debt one more time, I swear ta God, I'm going to pull my own damn hair out." He quickly interrupted her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dixon." She quietly whispered.

"The names' Daryl, and for the love of God, stop apologizing." He told her with a tired sigh as he limped his way over to the kitchen table.

"Oh my God, you're hurt! How stupid of me to not have noticed." She exclaimed as she ran to the table to pull him a chair out.

"I'll be all right...just part of the job." He told her as he eased his aching body down into the chair with a slight grimace.

"What happened?" She worriedly asked him as she bent down to place his muddy work boots beside the doormat.

"Got stepped on by a horse." He growled softly, the pain in his foot momentarily forgotten as he watched her bend over. She had a perfect heart shaped ass that he was just dying to sink his teeth-

His thoughts came to a stop as she rose back up.

"Do you think anything's broken?"

He shifted in his chair, trying to ease the sudden tightness in his crotch. "No. I'll be fine in a few days...it's just bruised."

"Well, if you're sure. Dinner will be ready in just a minute, just sit there and try to relax." She told him as she went over to the stove to stir a pot that had been simmering.

That's when he noticed the tantalizing smell that was wafting throughout the kitchen. He rubbed his stomach as it protested loudly, reminding him that he had not eaten since lunch.

"Carol, ya didn't have ta make dinner. I could have easily fixed myself a sandwich. You've done plenty around here today."

"It's no problem. I like to cook and besides, I wanted to repay-" She caught herself and cut the word short. She turned around to face him, blushing lightly. "Sorry...it's going to take me some time to not think of it as a debt. I'll try harder next time."

His mouth tipped into a smile - a slow, bone-melting grin that made her insides feel funny...and tingly.

"Good girl." He said, his deep, silky voice curling around her like tendrils of warm smoke.

Carol shivered and clenched her thighs tightly together, hoping he didn't see her attraction to him. How embarrassing would that be for the poor man, she thought as she quickly turned back around to the stove, trying to calm the pounding of her heart.

They sat in comfortable silence as she dished up the plates, making sure to pile his plate high, and placed it in front of him. On his plate he had deer steak, a mountain of mashed potatoes, and fluffy homemade biscuits.

Daryl groaned as the smells teased his nostrils. "Damn, woman...you've outdone yerself."

Carol blushed as she sat down, happy that she had pleased him. Ed had rarely been pleased with anything that she had done. She needed to stop comparing the two - they obviously were completely different.

Daryl looked up from his plate and frowned; her plate barely had any food at all on it. "Is that all yer eating?"

Carol looked down at her plate and fiddled with her silverware. "It's all I need, really. I'm trying to watch my weight."

Daryl looked at her in shock and chuckled. "Yer fucking kidding, right?"

She gave him a deadpan look. "No."

"Who tha fuck told ya that bullshit?" He growled.

"N-N-No one. I-I-I have a mirror, you know." She stammered out nervously.

The truth was, Ed had made her self-conscious about her weight during their whole marriage. If she got above a size six, there would be hell to pay and a beating to go along with it. It got so bad at one point that Ed would hide the food from her just to keep her from getting to it. She would sometimes go days without eating, and when Ed felt that she had suffered enough, he would take her to the bathroom and weigh her himself, claiming that he wasn't going to have a "fat bitch" as his wife.

Daryl didn't need to know that though. The less he knew about her, the better.

Daryl looked at her and hummed unconvincingly. One of these days, he would get the truth out of her. "Well, ya need ta fucking break that mirror...or ya ass needs ta get ya eyes checked."

Carol blushed and changed the subject. "Aren't you going to try your food before it gets cold?"

Daryl nodded and returned his attention back to his plate. He sliced off a piece of the steak and groaned. "My God...so good..."

Carol giggled as she watched him lick his fingers. He had the table manners of a goat.

"So," she nervously began, "since I've proved my housekeeping and cooking abilities, would you reconsider hiring me on? I need to get back on my feet again."

Daryl sighed and laid down his fork. "All right...ya fucking got me, okay? The house looks better than it has in years, and ya put Paula Deen's butter loving ass ta shame."

Carol smiled at him, watching as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"Yer fucking hired."

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